Merz's Conservatives Win German Election, Seek Coalition Talks

Friedrich Merz, poised to become Germany's next chancellor, is set to commence coalition negotiations following his conservative bloc's victory in the recent national election. His CDU/CSU party secured 28.6% of the vote, while the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) achieved a historic second-place finish with 20.8%. Merz aims to establish a government by Easter, underscoring the urgency of addressing economic challenges, migration issues, and geopolitical tensions. He has expressed a desire to strengthen European independence from the U.S., criticizing Washington's comments during the campaign as 'outrageous.' With mainstream parties ruling out collaboration with the AfD due to concerns over extremism, Merz will likely need to negotiate with the center-left Social Democrats (SPD) to form a viable coalition. The political landscape remains precarious, with the election results reflecting significant shifts and challenges within Germany's political system.